by Jake Brown
MONTPELIER — Construction of a six-unit apartment building close to downtown is nearing completion, and two of the six apartments in the building on Cedar Street have been spoken for, says owner Jason Merrill.
He says the project, the first new residential apartment building constructed in downtown in many years, should be finished by July 1.
For years there has been a very high demand for rental housing in the city. Merrill, who owns 12 other apartment units around town, says he rarely has vacancies in his other apartments.
The building, which sits on the cross street running between East State Street and School Street, replaces a dilapidated apartment building that was torn down last year. The building is about 50 yards from the Union Elementary School and about 150 yards from the intersection of State and Main streets.
Merrill says people who have looked at the units like the new construction, the proximity to downtown and Union School, and the views from balconies in the upper units.
He said the units are energy efficient, with electric heat pumps to warm and cool the apartments. The building also offers five covered parking spaces on the ground floor of the building. The units will be rented, not sold.
The building is three stories. The apartments in the top two floors offer views of the downtown skyline, including the State House and City Hall. Rents for the upper units with the views are $1,750 per month, and rents for other units are less. Utilities are not included.
All of the building’s apartments are two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments with a living and dining area facing downtown and bedrooms in the back.
